We hereby continue the methodical study of "The Gospel According to Spiritism" by Allan Kardec, the third of the works of the Kardecian Pentateuch. The first edition was published in April, 1864. The answers to the questions suggested for discussion are at the end of the text below.
Questions for discussion
A. What is the reason why so many sects, often conflicting among themselves, appeared in the world having their common origin in the Gospels?
B. Spiritism has faced many powerful enemies. What does it still have to face?
C. How could people benefit from Jesus' parables, which are, at times, incomprehensible and illogical even for us?
D. Why did Jesus command His Apostles, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, without first seeking the lost sheep of the House of Israel?"
Reading text
303. Regarding the union of the sexes, together with the material divine law, common to all living beings, there is another divine law, unchangeable as all the laws of God, exclusively moral, the law of love. God wanted the human beings to unite not only by the bonds of flesh, but also by soul ties, so that the mutual affection of spouses be transmitted to their children, and that the spouses became two, and not just one, loving their children, taking care of them and making them progress. (Chapter XXII, section 3.)
304. Neither the civil law nor its legally binding commitments can fulfill the law of love, if it does not rule marriage, often resulting in the separation of those who were joined by force. Hence, unhappy marriages could be avoided if the condition that really matters was followed: the law of love. (Chapter XXII, section 3.)
305. Can we then consider the civil law needless, and should we go back to the weddings according to Nature? Certainly not. The object of the civil law is to rule social relations and the interests of families, according to the requirements of civilization, so it is useful, necessary, but changeable. (Chapter XXII, section 4.)
306. Divorce is a human law the object of which is to legally separate what, in fact, is already separated. Therefore, it is not contrary to the law of God, since it only amends what men made and will only apply in cases when the divine law was not taken into account in the marriage. Moreover, not even Jesus established the absolute indissolubility of marriage, and he perfectly admitted it in cases of adultery. (Chapter XXII, section 5.)
307. "The one that does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. So, if he does not renounce to all his belongings, then he cannot be my disciple." (Luke, Chapter XIV, vv. 25-33.) (Chapter XXIII, section 1).
308. "He that loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and he who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." (Matthew, Chapter X, v. 37.) Certain words attributed to Christ sound so contrary to his usual way of speaking that their literal sense is instinctively rejected, however, with no damage to His sublime doctrine. (Editor's note: In such cases, one needs to know if Jesus did in fact speak those words, and, if so, extract the meaning of what Jesus said. This is what happens with the above sentence, registered by Matthew, and those words do not mean lack of love or abandonment of the family, but only full dedication to the work on the Master's harvest, work that is important to us not only in this life, but in the eternal life too.) (Chapter XXIII, sections 2 and 3.)
309. "Jesus said: I say to you that the one who, to reach the Kingdom of God, leaves behind his home, father or mother, brothers, wife, children, shall receive in this world much more and in the coming century, eternal life." (Luke, Chapter XVIII vv. 28-30.) "Another one said: Lord, I shall follow you, but let me first dispose of my belongings at home. Jesus answered: The one that has already put his hand over the plow and looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God." (Luke, Chapter IX, vv. 61 and 62.) (Chapter XXIII, sections 5 and 6.)
310. Without discussing the words themselves, one should analyze their meaning, which of course adds up to, "The interests of future life prevail over all interests and all human considerations," because this thought is in accordance with the essence of Jesus' doctrine, while the idea of renouncing to the family would be a denial of that doctrine. (Chapter XXIII, section 6.)
311. Indeed, are these principles not applied when sacrificing personal interests in the name of the country? Do we reproach the one that leaves his father, mother, brothers, and even children, to fight for his country? On the contrary, do we not recognize in this person a great merit in leaving his sweet home to do his duty? (Chapter XXIII, section 6.)
312. The distance does not undermine respect or care of a son towards his parents, nor their feelings for him. Therefore, those words do not mean the denial of the commandment that establishes man to honor his father and mother. They only show how it is an imperative duty for a man to be concerned with his afterlife. (Chapter XXIII, section 6.)
Answers to the proposed questions
A. What is the reason why so many sects, often conflicting among themselves, appeared in the world having their common origin in the Gospels?
Unfortunately, the supporters of the new doctrine did not reach a common point on the interpretation of the Master's words, most often veiled due to allegories and figures of language. Hence numerous sects appeared, all of them claiming to possess the truth with exclusivity. Forgetting the most important divine law, considered by Jesus the supporting stone of his building and an express condition for salvation: charity, fraternity, and love of neighbor, those sects launched an anathema on each other, and threw themselves against each other, the strongest crushing the weaker, drowning them in blood, exterminating them in torture and flames. Winners of Paganism, the Christians, from previously pursued, now became pursuers. With bloodshed and destruction, they began to plant the cross of the immaculate Lamb. It is a constant fact that religious wars were crueler and caused more victims than political wars and nowhere else were they practiced with so many acts of atrocity and barbarism. (The Gospel According to Spiritism, Chapter XXIII, section 15.)
B. Spiritism has faced many powerful enemies. What does it still have to face?
At the expected time, Spiritism shall accomplish Christ's promises. However, it cannot do it without putting and end to the abuses. Like Jesus, Spiritism stumbles upon pride, selfishness, ambition, greed, blind fanaticism, which, taken to its ultimate trenches, try to bar its way, and raise obstacles and cause harassment. Therefore, it also has to fight, but the time of fighting and of bloody persecutions has passed. The ones Spiritism still has to go through are all of moral order and soon they shall end. (Ibid, Chapter XXIII, sections 16 and 17.)
C. How could people benefit from Jesus' parables, which are, at times, incomprehensible and illogical even for us?
Note that Jesus only expresses Himself by means of parables when He refers to the parts of His doctrine, which are in a certain sense abstract. However, he considered charity towards others and humility the basic conditions of salvation and whatever He said regarding this matter is entirely clear, explicit and without ambiguity. Therefore, it must be, because this was the rule of conduct, a rule that everyone had to understand in order to follow it. It was the essential for the ignorant crowd, to which he merely said: "This is what you need to do to gain the Kingdom of Heaven." Regarding the other parts, he developed his thoughts only with His disciples. Because they were more advanced, morally and intellectually, Jesus could initiate them on the knowledge of more abstract truths. This is why He said: Those who already have, even more will be given. (Ibid, Chapter XXIV, sections 6 and 7.)
D. Why did Jesus command His Apostles, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, without first seeking the lost sheep of the House of Israel?"
In many circumstances, Jesus shows that his point of view is not confined to the Jewish people, but it is meant for all Mankind. If he told His Apostles that they should not go to the Pagans, it is not because He disregarded their conversion, this not being charitable. It was because the Jews, who already believed in one God and expected the Messiah, were prepared, by the law of Moses and the prophets, to receive their word. With the Pagans, who had no knowledge at all, everything was to be done and the Apostles were not yet sufficiently enlightened for such a heavy task. That is why He told them: "Go in search of the lost sheep of Israel," meaning, go to seed on ground already plowed. He knew that the conversion of the Gentiles would happen at the right time. Later, in effect, the Apostles went to plant the cross in the center of Paganism itself. (Ibid, Chapter XXIV sections 8 and 10).
